BOMA San Francisco’s PAC Positions On The November 3rd Ballot Measures

BOMA San Francisco's Political Action Committee has taken the following position on the five ballot measures before the San Francisco electorate on November 3rd:

Proposition A (Budget Process) – SUPPORT

Proposition A will help the San Francisco government better manage its finances by requiring the creation of a two-year budget, a five-year financial plan and the alignment of future City employee union contracts.  Proposition A is a good first step to reforming local government by mandating that prudent financial policies and practices are put into place that are more in-line with practices long ago adopted by the private sector.  BOMA SF-PAC supports Proposition A and urges all San Francisco voters to do so as well.  You can read our blog post on this proposition, here.  Click here to review charter amendment.

Proposition B (Board of Supervisor Aides) – NO POSITION

Proposition B will lift the current limit of two aides per supervisor, and allow each member of the Board to hire as many aides they see fit within budgetary constraints.  Click here to review the charter amendment.

Proposition C (Candlestick Park Renaming) – SUPPORT

Proposition C will allow the City and County of San Francisco to sell the naming rights to Candlestick Park  with 50% of the revenue dedicated to the San Francisco Recreation & Park Department.  Click here to review the ordinance.

Proposition D (Mid-Market Special Sign District) – SUPPORT

Proposition D, entitled the "Mid-Market Arts Revitalization and Tourism Special Sign District", will apply to only two blocks, between 5th and 7th Streets on Market Street. It will create an exception to Proposition G, the 2002 citywide measure that banned all new signs in San Francisco.  Specifically the ordinance will:

• Create a special sign district that will manage the number and size of the signs that will be allowed along Market St. between 5th and 7th Streets, and is limited to only 52 buildings;

• Take a portion (20% for buildings devoting ground floor space to local arts activities or displays and 40% for those buildings who don't) to fund local artists and arts education for kids in the Tenderloin;

• Use part of the money from advertising revenues to assist in cleaning sidewalks and upgrading the two block area to make it safer;

• Use part of the funds to refurbish and maintain historic buildings and theaters and their marquees to restore the area as the city's Theater District. It would also fund establishing a theater ticket booth at Halladie Plaza.
  

Click here to review the ordinance.

Proposition E (Advertisements on City Property) – OPPOSE

Proposition E would prohibit any new general advertising on street furniture, and City owned property.  Click here to review the ordinance.

Illuminate Your Building (RED)™ To Help The Fight Against Aids

 

On December 1st, 2009, please consider lighting your building red in recognition of World AIDS Day to help raise awareness in the fight against AIDS. This effort is part of a larger campaign created in 2006—(RED)™ —to engage business and consumer power to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. (RED) works with the world’s best brands to make unique (PRODUCT)RED™ branded products and direct up to 50% of their gross profits to the Global Fund to invest in the fight against AIDS in Africa.

Please click here for more information about RED.  If you’d like to participate, please contact Stephanie Brag at Stephanie.brag@joinred.com.

Warfield Theatre Owner David Addington Addresses BOMA on Proposition D

 Ken Cleaveland, BOMA San Francisco's Director of Government and Public Affairs and David Addington, sponsor of Proposition D.

David Addington addressed BOMA San Francisco's Political Action Committee Board on October 27th detailing his hopes behind Proposition D, a measure he personally drafted and funded to obtain the required number of signatures to place on the November 3, 2009 city ballot. The ordinance is entitled the "Mid-Market Arts Revitalization and Tourism Special Sign District" and will apply to only two blocks, between 5th and 7th Streets on Market Street. It will create an exception to Prop. G, the 2002 citywide measure that banned all new signs in San Francisco.

Mr. Addington is passionate about re-vitalizing the Mid-Market area of town. A Georgia native, he came to San Francisco seven years ago to attend law school, met his wife, and dropped out of law school to begin his involvement in the city's commercial real estate community. He had opportunities to buy properties in the downtrodden mid-Market area, starting with the Warfield Theatre in 2005, and shortly thereafter picked up several other buildings including 988 Market Street and 1028 Market Street. He is the managing partner of Fair Market Partners, LLC. He saw an immediate need to clean up this area, not only for the property owners, but for the local residents, and the thousands of people who visit the Warfield and Golden Gate theatres each year for performances but hasten out of the neighborhood immediately after the shows because the area is dark, dangerous, and devoid of respectable activities, such as any good restaurants.

Addington wrote a complicated measure, but one that will do several things:

• It will create a special sign district that will manage the number and size of the signs that will be allowed along Market St. between 5th and 7th Streets, and is limited to only 52 buildings.

• It will take a portion (20% for buildings devoting ground floor space to local arts activities or displays and 40% for those buildings who don't) to fund local artists and arts education for kids in the Tenderloin.

• It will use part of the money from advertising revenues to assist in cleaning sidewalks and upgrading the two block area to make it safer.

• It will use part of the funds to refurbish and maintain historic buildings and theatres and their marquees to restore the area as the city's Theater District. It would also fund establishing a theatre ticket booth at Halladie Plaza. 

Proposition D, stated Addington, is supported by a wide array of folks, something that is unusual in San Francisco, especially when it involves land use and planning matters. This support includes the local Democratic Party, the SF Chamber of Commerce, BOMA, the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR), the Market Street Association, the Police Officers Association, and a majority of the SF Board of Supervisors.

For more information, go to www.midmarketarts.com.

The News Links - October 27, 2009

Curbed SF:  Is San Francisco hoarding jobs for its own architects?





GreenBiz: Introducing ... the Green Confidence index.

San Francisco Chronicle: Underemployed compound state's jobless troubles.

Commercial Real Estate

• CRE prices: healthy and distressed.
  
• Bay Area real estate ‘legend’ Bill Wilson says opportunity will come.
• CRE: Liberty Property Trust conference call comments.

San Francisco

• Gavin Newsom wants to hear from Jerry Brown.
• Mayor drives Muni-free Market plan.
• Entertainment Commission poised for power.
• San Francisco Architect Larry Halprin's work is unforgettable -- and so was he.
  
• Mayor Newsom launches Art in Storefronts pilot program.
  
• Bay Area hopes to tax its way to funding.
• Half of Muni surveillance cameras fail in audit.
• Ken Garcia: Synthetic turf debate a senseless ruse for control.
  

Marin/San Mateo/Sonoma

• Gubernatorial hopeful Newsom speaks to Marin.
  
• Tiburon neighborhood will see separate ballots.
• San Carlos voters to decide if city clerk should be appointed.
• Corte Madera council candidates' coffers light.
  

California

• Dan Walters: A new California water plan remains an elusive goal.
• Big Oil not paying its 'fair share'.   
• California race in New York's shadow.
• Calbuzz: Desperate times & measures: our dinner with eMeg.
• State's new tax credit program boosts film and TV production. 
• With yields up, California muni bond sale sees strong demand.
• Speculation grows that Fiorina will launch Senate bid next week.
  

The Economy

• Here is an excerpt from the November investment outlook newsletter of PIMCO’s Bill Gross.
• Obama's big $3.4 billion stimulus announcement.

Green Issues

• LEED certification points available for TMASF members.  Click here for the details.
  

General

• Fraud plagues government-run health care.
  
• In battle over gay marriage, timing may be key. 
• Unions win concessions but fight on.
• Schwarzenegger weighs in on costs of health care reform.
• A whole VAT of stimulus.
• Washington gets serious about tax havens. 
• Obama says momentum growing for climate change legislation.
  

Tom Campbell Talks to Environmental Defense Fund and San Francisco Business Leaders

 Image retrieved here.

Your BOMA Advocacy Team, along with other business organizations, met recently with California Republican gubernatorial candidate, Tom Campbell.  The following are the highlights from the meeting:

• Mr. Campbell supports a carbon tax on business but only if they are coupled with a reduction in ordinary business taxes so there is a “net zero” tax impact. He believes a carbon tax would give businesses in California greater flexibility, and is “committed to making it work.” He also thinks a national carbon tax would be preferable to a national cap and trade program.

• He was supportive of higher gas taxes if they would keep teachers from being laid off, or keep the Pell grants (student loans) from being eliminated. He did believe professors, researchers, and scientists in California’s state universities should be able to retain the patent rights over any discoveries they might make as an incentive to keep the best such professionals in our colleges and universities. (Currently, the schools own any patents that are the result of discoveries of its teaching, or research personnel.)

• On taxes, Campbell favors a business net receipts tax (BNRT), one of several key recommendations recently released by the Commission for a 21st Century Economy’s, as it simplifies the state’s tax structure, reduces the number of income tax categories from 6 to 2, and reduces the over-dependence on high income individuals, whose income taxes now pay an inordinate amount of the total state tax revenues and are highly volatile. He also believes in lowering the cap gains tax in CA, at least to the current (15%) Federal cap gains tax levels. He did not, however, think the state Legislature will do anything with these tax reform recommendations.

• In the area of politics, he believes we need to get back to the “radical center”, and to do that with a reform of term limits, an open primary system, and the new way in which re-districting will take place beginning with the 2010 census. He said we need to avoid the extremes, and promote more dialogue among legislators.

• Campbell opposed SB 375, the legislation that ties carbon emission reductions to new development, because it created a right of action with no standing, and would allow the Air Resources Board to set density standards for local communities. He believes in local sovereignty.

• Campbell favors the English system of lawsuits: if you lose, you pay all the legal costs for both parties.

• He also supports convening a state constitutional convention as he believes substantial changes that are needed in our constitution can’t be made by propositions as they would be considered a “revision” (not addition) to the constitution, and thus only can be enacted via a constitutional convention.

• Campbell also believes that protecting the environment does not have to mean giving up economic development and thinks there is and should be a strong link between the two.

• Campbell will not keep the cigar tent at the state capitol if he is elected Governor.

Tom Campbell has a website and can be emailed using Tom@campbell.org.  

The News Links - October 23-26, 2009

The New Yorker: Why banks stay big.



SF Streetsblog: CA poised to reform auto-centric level of service environmental rules.

Commercial Real Estate

• Changing strategies for uncertain times.
• US commercial mortgage delinquency hits 4.7%.
  
• Silicon Valley office vacancies near 20 percent.
• S.F. hotel rates, occupancy keep dropping.
• Storefronting: architect displays for Union Square vacancies.
• Amendment could let struggling retailers claim billions in tax refunds.
• Northern California economic development weapon goes unfired.

San Francisco

• Mayor Newsom announces San Francisco’s H1N1/Swine Flu vaccination plans.
• The life and times of Theresa Sparks.
  
• S.F. to ease up on unlicensed drivers.
  
• Matier & Ross: Feinstein targets insurers' antitrust exemption; Where's Gavin?; former Mayor Art Agnos snubbed?
• Muni envy in Orinda.
• Midnight meter madness must be stopped.
  
• State of the arts: Despite recession, optimism abounds.
  
• Presidio Parkway: Richmond, Marin, and Marina public meetings.
• S.F. gets $1M for electric car charging.
  
• Target's coming to the Metreon
• Produce market preparing to flourish.
  
• Painting eyes on the street: Debut of SF’s art in storefronts program.
• San Francisco hotel workers authorize strike.
• 300 rally to save sharp park golf course.

Marin/San Mateo/Sonoma

• Redwood City council irked by Menlo Park's early meddling in Cargill project.
  
• San Rafael council candidates mix it up in final forum before Nov. 3 election.
• Five Redwood City Council candidates compete for three seats.
  

California

• Part-Time Legislature: It's not dead yet.
• Think of how crowded the freeways will be.
• Threatened with mass demotion, California lawmakers finally focus.
• Just don't call him 'comrade Campbell'.
• S.F. utilities panel now backs water plan.
  
• 10 years ago this month, TIME regurgitated Gray Davis' spin. Now TIME regurgitates Arnold's spin. Groan.
  
• Of farms, folks and fish.
• Lockyer's honesty on unaffordable pensions is welcome. But in 2005, he single-handedly sandbagged reform he now seeks.
  

The Economy

• Bernanke's trillion-dollar decision.
• Experts see rebounding economy shedding jobs.
  
• Reckless strategies doomed WaMu.

Green Issues

• Climate change? Let's get real.
• Obama's energy secretary vs. clueless Calbuzzers who shill for green fantasy of pain-free AB 32.
• Industry shift reduces LEED Costs.
• Are the Freakonomics folks off base on Global Warming?
  
• The View - insider's viewpoint: state of green.
  
• San Francisco Department of the Environment's October newsletter can be found here.
• Nuclear energy becomes pivotal in climate debate.
  
• Obama says winner of clean-energy race will lead global economy.
• EPA commits to set air pollution rules by 2011.
  
• Tallying biofuels' real environmental cost.
• The price of cleanliness.
• California electric-cars push may raise power costs.
  

General

• Join Urban Land Institute and influential business author Tom Peters – Friday, November 6. Click here for more information and here to register.
• With gaping deficits, San Jose manager seeks big union concessions.
  
• This is the end of the newspaper business.
  
• U.S. Chamber vs. Obama.
  
• Proposed ballot measure would eliminate divorce.
• F-35 is the subject of watchdog’s media blitz.
• Postcard from Detroit.
• Doomsday financial journalism at its best (or worst).
  

The News Links - October 22, 2009

TIME: The End of California? Dream On!

The Atlantic: Tax Collapse.

Commercial Real Estate

• CMBS loan losses expected to rise dramatically.
• Hotel RevPAR off 16 Percent.
• Ground is breaking all over.
  

San Francisco

• Probation officers back S.F. mayor on sanctuary.
  
• Sweet Melissa: City's cash going overseas & fireworks likely in sanctuary policy fight.
• Hotel workers to vote on strike.
• Watch TV while waiting for the bus.
• City's sanctuary policy battle far from over.
• Newsom says thanks but no thanks, FDA.
• Examiner Editorial: Fare cheats cost Muni--and you--millions.
  

Marin/San Mateo/Sonoma

• What recession? Burlingame touts new businesses, including auto dealership.
• Storm caused San Mateo County cities to spill untreated sewage into streets, creeks that lead to Bay.
  
• Belmont residents can tweet questions to police Thursday.
  

California

• Meet author Jerry Brown: The "philosopher prince" as CA governor again?
  
• DiFi says go with Transbay site.
• Calbuzz: Gavin’s issues, eMeg’s double play, Poizner’s PPT.
• Fox & Hounds: More and more initiatives; Newsom; status quo debate
• Governor blames budget woes on judges 'going absolutely crazy'.
• Go with the flow on water legislation.
• SF Mayor Newsom dives into water negotiations.
• Initiative backers submit paperwork promising a busy 2010 cycle.
  

The Economy

• 7,000 unemployed Americans lose their lifeline every day.
  
• U.S. Department of Labor unemployment insurance weekly claims report can be found here.
• NY Times CEO sees improvement in ad economy.
• Fed treasury purchases: Just $2 billion more.
• White House bad news: Stimulus effect will stall in '10.
• The United States has no more money to spend.
• LAX passenger traffic rises for first time in 18 months.
  

Green Issues

• Survey Says: Americans not worried about global warming.
  

General

• The new Tammany Hall.
• ‘Paycheck protection’ proposition pondered for 2010 ballot.
  
• U.S. Treasury and the Fed unveil pay plans for bailed-out firms.
• Jobless, 50-ish, and without many prospects.
• A synopsis Of Washington's big day for pay.
• FCC moves forward on net neutrality rule-making in unanimous vote.
• China's push for oil in Gulf of Mexico puts U.S. in awkward spot.
  

The News Links - October 21, 2009

City Insider: Time to compost -- or else.

Calculated Risk: Moody’s - CRE prices off 41 percent from peak, off 3% in August.



SF Weekly: She just became the city's first transgender department head, but Theresa Sparks is already setting her sights on becoming the city's first transgender supervisor.

Commercial Real Estate

• Commercial real estate global spotlight - San Francisco, California.
• Feds ready to start pushing banks toward CRE loan workouts.
• Hotels: Don't buy them now, but start looking.
  
• Commercial mortgage limits not enforced.
• U.S. architecture billings up in September.
• San Francisco employee pension fund loses $645MM on real estate.
• RREEF to investors: Debt restructuring, default.
• What great wealth transfer?
  

San Francisco

• From Supervisor Sean Elsbernd: Attention Public Golfers - Save Sharp Park Fundraiser.
• The land of the free (parking).
  
• Mayor's Office: Supe Campos Is "taunting the opponents of sanctuary city".
• Paper could be the new plastic.
• City to spend $150,000 on disaster aid relief.
  
• SFPUC starts building stalled headquarters.
  
• Ken Garcia: Hospital plans prove there’s always more to story.
  
• Check out Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier's new campaign website for Insurance Commissioner, here.
  
• Fine hike for disabled placard abuse.
• Funds flow to fix park fountains.
• Muni finds almost 10% of riders are fare cheats.
  

Marin/San Mateo/Sonoma

• County of Marin and local cities will use state's IOU to sell bonds.
• Campaign mailer takes center stage in San Rafael.
  
• Assemblymember Jared Huffman's recent newsletter can be found here.
• Assemblymember Jerry Hill will be holding a town hall meeting on October 28th. More information can be found here.

California

• If there are 12 stops from S.F. to Anaheim, it's not "high-speed" rail. It's .... rail.
• Analysis: Schwarzenegger reversals erode trust.
  
• GOP gov candidate Meg Whitman did register to vote in SF.
  
• Liberal radio diatribes in 1990s could haunt Jerry Brown in 2010 California governor's race.
  
• Jerry Brown wins points over CNBC dust-up.
• Study: California should focus training on 'middle-skill' jobs.

The Economy

• What does it mean to be too big to fail?
• Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System: Confronting too big to fail.
• Business spending looks up.
• The growing case for a jobless recovery.
  
• Producer prices drop in September as energy costs fall.
• Economy to impact two-thirds of families this holiday season, according to National Retail Federation survey.
• Luxury spending dispute.
• Private equity returns down 30 percent -- and that's the good news.
• Bernanke urges US to cut budget deficit.
  

Green Issues

• Why the booming wind industry needs a renewable electricity standard.
• AB32 fees approved for state's largest GHG emitters.
• Seven carbon markets may replace Kyoto, Barclays says.
• The top 10 states for energy efficiency — and some surprising achievers.
  

General

• Has So-Cal lost its mojo?
  
• Government made the mess. Now clean it up.
• White House advisers say Fox News is not news.
• Wall Street to Democrats: We wish we knew how to quit you!
• Morning Fix: Obama's populist turn.
• Obama collects while taking on Wall Street at glitzy fund-raiser.
  

Voluntary Certified Access Specialist Program (CASp)

In 2003, California Senate Bill 262 was signed into law and placed the following requirements on the Division of the State Architect (DSA):

the State Architect shall establish and publicize a program for voluntary certification by the state of any person who meets the specified criteria as a certified access specialist [click here for the Certified Access Specialist Program (CASp) Candidate Handbook and here for the CASp regulations].

Furthermore, the State Architect is to make available to the public a list of certified access specialists who meet the specified criteria.

Purpose

The purpose of the program is to further professionalize the field of disability access rights so that those who engage the services of design professionals, building officials, contractors, and architects may do so with the confidence that they understand accessibility issues.

What is a Certified Access Specialist?

Certified Access Specialists are individuals who have met minimum criteria as determined by the State Architect, which may include testing on knowledge sufficient to review, inspect, or advocate universal design requirements and standards governing access to buildings for persons with disabilities.

Changes to the CASp in 2008

California legislation passed in 2008, Senate Bill 1608, amended Senate Bill 262 to require that every Voluntary Certified Access Specialist (CASp) who conducts an inspection of a place of public accommodation shall, upon completing the inspection of the site, provide the building owner or tenant who requested the inspection with a notice, which the State Architect shall make available as a form on the State Architect's Internet Web site.

In accordance with Civil Code section 55.53(c), DSA has posted the following notice:

Notice to Private Property Owner/Tenant can be found here. (PDF 13 KB)

With the passage of Senate Bill 1608, the DSA has been receiving numerous inquiries regarding this bill and how it relates to the CASp program. Senate Bill 1608 does not change the requirements or operation of the CASp program. The bill does provide certain legal rights to individuals whose facilities have been inspected by a Certified Access Specialist. SB 1608 also requires local agency to employ or retain Certified Access Specialists by specified dates. You can review the text of SB 1608 here.

Inspection Certificates Available

Senate Bill 1608 also authorized the DSA to make available for purchase by any local building department or CASp sequentially numbered Disability Access Inspection Certificates.

These certificates are now available for purchase through DSA. All requests for orders should be directed to CASprogram@dgs.ca.gov. Currently, the DSA can only accept checks or money orders as payment. Payment should be made out to "CASp program" and mailed to DSA, 1102 Q Street, Ste 5100, Sacramento, CA 95811 and attn: CASp. An online payment option will be available shortly.

The certificates are sold in bundles of 50 each at a cost of $500.00. This amount already includes tax, shipping, and handling. Orders for less than 50 are available upon request.

List of Certified Access Specialists Now Available Online!

The voluntary Certified Access Specialist Program has published its first list of Certified Access Specialists as of October 29, 2008!

Contact Information

Any inquiries about the Certified Access Specialist (CASp) Program to CASprogram@dgs.ca.gov

Registration Opens for Joint Muni and Bart 18-Month Seniors Disabled Pilot Program

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which operates the Municipal Railway (Muni), and the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) have announced the opening of registration for an 18-month joint pilot project to allow senior and disabled customers unlimited access to BART in San Francisco and all Muni transit services with the purchase of a single pass.
Interested seniors and persons with disabilities may enter a drawing to participate. The first phase of the pilot will begin February 2010; the registration deadline for those who wish to participate is November 30.

In order to participate in the pilot program, seniors and persons with disabilities must register for a random lottery by going to the SFMTA Web site at sfmta.com or by calling 311. The current Muni Adult Fast Pass® allows unlimited BART access within the City of San Francisco and all regular transit services offered by Muni. The Senior/Disabled Pass Pilot will assess the functionality, popularity and potential costs of implementing a similar program for senior and disabled Muni customers. The SFMTA and BART are working together to develop a pass for this purpose. If deemed successful, the pass could be added to TransLink®, the regional transit smart card (www.translink.org).

To enter the first round of the lottery, a senior or disabled customer must register no later than November 30. Every six months during the pilot, 2,000 participants will be randomly selected to receive the Senior/Disabled Pilot Pass.

Senior and persons with disabilities will be required to demonstrate eligibility or verify their age. Pilot participants will be required to carry the pass as well as a valid form of identification when using the pass.

The News Links - October 15, 2009

Streetsblog San Francisco: SFMTA must act quickly to convince merchants of parking plan’s benefits.

San Francisco Chronicle: Newsom ads hit YouTube.

Calculated Risk: Retail capitalization rates increase sharply in Q3.

Commercial Real Estate

• Citi’s CRE problem.
  
• Drug stores trump most retail categories on new store additions and property sale transactions.
• Global investors following decline in U.S. property values with growing interest.
  
• Weak hotel performance blamed for renewed rise in securitized CRE mortgage defaults.
  
• U.S. will set guidelines to modify real-estate loans.
• Commercial Real Estate continues to worry the Fed.
  
• Time to REIT-urn to Real Estate?
  

San Francisco

• Missing chairs, tables cook up fine.
• Bay Bridge rebuild is a shaky proposition.
  
• Sweet Melissa: MTA in a bind for already-spent cash.
  
• Jobless rate rises to 10.1 percent in S.F.
  
• Matier & Ross: Sparks to fly: Theresa Sparks; Obama to avoid the rabble on S.F. visit; and Jerry-atrics.
• San Francisco, the city that's open for data.
• Chu opposes spending $150K in aid relief.
• Newsom gives KJ lots and lots of San Francisco treats.
• Bay Bridge motorists could soon pay $6 to cross span.
  
  

Marin/San Mateo/Sonoma

• Fairfax asks Tiburon for money to pay its bills.
  

California

• California is governable. Really!
• Two nuggets of political wisdom for the Golden State.
  
• Newsom backs constitutional convention in Web video.
• Approval ratings of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature have hit new lows.
• Gov2010: A look at the Campbell campaign.
• Rumor mill: Rep. Jane Harman as a 2010 Dem gov candidate?
• California gets plenty of reform advice.
  
• Voters support changing California's constitution.
• Dan Walters: Right on schedule, state budget springs a leak.
  
• John Kabateck, Executive Director of the National Federation of Independent Business, wrote and excellent letter to the editor of the San Francisco Chronicle recently: 'Business tax increase a bad idea'.
• Ken Garcia: California has become wretched state of affairs.
  

The Economy

• Retail sales were down in September.
• Stimulus saved 30,000 jobs. Is that terribly low?
• The Philadelphia Fed's Business Outlook Survey can be found here.
• Slight September consumer price increase points to low inflation.
• Unemployment insurance weekly claims report shows a decline.
  

General

• The dangers of a value-added tax.
• The VAT's public perception.
• First, we will need a new power superhighway.
• Boxer: Climate bill ready.
• Swine flu spreading rapidly in California, health officials say.
  

The News Links - October 12, 2009

Matier & Ross: 'Wellness' issues & Migden running for District 10?

NYT: A bounce? Indeed. A boom? Not yet.

The New Yorker: Nobel Surprise

Commercial Real Estate

• The coming commercial real estate losses for local and regional banks.
• The inventory issue.
• Problems with subleasing.
• Three possible catalysts for distress.
  

San Francisco

• Theresa Sparks moving to District 6 this weekend, 'leaning very heavily' toward running for Supervisor.
  
• The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's recent newsletter can be found here.
• Bay Area cities lag in making housing quake-safe.
• SF Weekly's take of the Guardian's recent editorial on community choice aggregation.
• Supervisors set sights overseas.
• Ammiano's manners get him bounced from the Castro.
• Bay Bridge shaking.
• Businesses in western SOMA up for debate.
  
  

Marin/San Mateo/Sonoma

• Marin Municipal Water District sells less water, makes cuts.
• 20 years after Loma Prieta quake, Marin practices preparedness.
• San Mateo City Council race heats up, candidates talk key issues.
• Recology buys Coastside Scavenger.
  

California

• The View - Insider's viewpoint: California's costs of doing business.
  
• Schwarzenegger backs away from veto threat, vows to weigh bills on merits.
• Schwarzenegger to call special session on water.
• What if Tom Campbell had money?
• Dan Walters: California 'murder-suicide of 1998' could repeat itself.
• Calbuzz: Bubba Speaks - What an endorsement is and is not.
• CalPERS pushed hikes now called ‘unsustainable’.
• Legislative employees still get a sweet deal.
• Polling shows little to please Republicans in 2010.
• California chief justice criticizes initiative process.
  

The Economy

• Steep losses pose crisis for pensions.
  
• The economic recovery is well underway.
• Dollar reaches breaking point as banks shift reserves.
• When should the Fed raise rates? (even more wonkish).

Green Issues

• States not meeting renewable energy goals.
• As economy grows, so do China's garbage woes.
  

General

• Obama peace prize editorial roundup.
• A path to downward mobility.
• Obesity concerns spur calls to limit new convenience stores in South L.A.
• The most important number in politics today: 56.
  

The Great California Shake Out & Big Rumble - October 15, 2009

On October 15, 2009 at 10:15 a.m., join other businesses and individuals in a statewide earthquake preparedness drill. Please click here for more information, and to register (no charge).

The 10:15 a.m. drop, cover, hold drill on 10/15/09 is part of a week-long series of events, called The Big Rumble, designed to increase understanding of what to do when an earthquake occurs. Everyone is encouraged to:

• Conduct a drop, cover and hold drill
• Take an inventory of disaster supplies (see www.72hours.org for tips)
• Update emergency and continuity of operations plans
• Conduct an evacuation drill
• Update family and business emergency notification rosters
• Identify a relocation site for both work and home
• Take pictures of your assets & make copies of important documents
• Conduct a stay-in-place drill
  

Participation in the Great California Shakeout & Big Rumble and implementing the above suggestions is an excellent way to follow up on BOMA San Francisco’s Emergency Preparedness workshop held on October 1st. The workshop discussed the essentials of emergency preparedness and the best practices and lessons learned from the Ferry Building evacuation drill conducted on August 19th. Both the Ferry Building drill and the workshop were produced by members of BOMA San Francisco’s Emergency Preparedness Committee—click here for more information (and emergency preparedness resources).

If you’d like to get involved with this fast-growing and dynamic committee, please email John Bozeman, BOMA San Francisco's Legislative Assistant, at johnb@boma.com. The committee meets on the second Tuesday of every month from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the top (48th floor) of The Pyramid Center. Our next meeting will be on October 13th.

Thank you for sharing this information with tenants and customers.

The News Links - October 9, 2009

Calculated Risk: Office vacancy rate and unemployment.

WSJ: Office rents dive as vacancies rise.

SF Examiner: Graffiti vandals, meet your new foe.

Commercial Real Estate

• Too much vacant commercial real estate? Here’s how to fill it.
• Fed worries about commercial real estate.
  
• Luxury hotel occupancy holds steady in weekly numbers.
• Hotel defaults, foreclosures rise in California.
• Shopping center vacancy rate hits 17-year high.
• Manhattan office vacancies reach five-year high.
• NewsHour report on NY commercial real estate.
  
• China's commercial real estate woes.

San Francisco

• 'You lie!' - bad manners or just politics?
  
• Ammiano to Schwarzenegger: "Kiss my gay a--"
• 'My in-laws treat me worse': Schwarzenegger laughs off Democrat taunts.
  
• Ken Garcia: Mum's the word for Jerry.
  
• Sweet Melissa: Sanctuary shift may lead nowhere & Prop. A will help keep budget process on track.
• SFPD Chief wants compromise on sanctuary policy.
  
• SFPD adopting corporate management techniques.
• Examiner Editorial: Accountability and fighting crime in The City.
  
• Tasers for SFPD under debate.
• Oracle OpenWorld aims to draw a crowd.

Marin/San Mateo/Sonoma

• Council candidates synchronized on several San Anselmo issues.
• Palo Alto business tax measure debated.
  

California

• Some state retirees rake in pensions and paychecks.
• California municipal bond sale falls short of fundraising goal.
  
• Dan Walters: State must change its tax system.
  
• Select committees pay lawmakers' staffers.
• Newsom releases lengthy endorsement list.
• Gavin Newsom grabs a few West Hollywood endorsements.
  
• Influential Dem says Newsom's best.
• Meg Whitman, Tom Campbell running neck and neck in latest Field Poll.
• Whitman, Poizner and their common Democratic contributions.
• Schwarzenegger calls state term limits law 'crazy'.
• Governor: Give me Delta deal first, then I'll sign bills.
• Boxer's got $6.3 million in the bank. Who's ready to rumble?
• California to refinance Schwarzenegger deficit bonds.

The Economy

• Fed Governor Daniel Tarullo: In the Wake of the Crisis.
  
• Banks cutting back on loans to businesses.

Green Issues

• San Francisco makes list of Solar America Cities Special Projects.
• Green Leases: What provisions should tenants consider?
• Insurers and climate change: Too blind to see?
• Green building crash.
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce president: Environmentalists behind resignation of Apple, others.
• Arnold fought for right to suspend AB 32 if economy was distressed. Now, with state unemployment at 70-year high, he mocks the idea. Insert profanity here.
  

General

• Support is building for a tax credit to help hiring.
  
• Obama adds Schwarzenegger to his Republican chorus for health care.
• Pelosi sending three versions of health bill to CBO.
  
• L.A.'s garment industry goes from riches to rags.
• US Senate panel unlikely to debate CO2 bill before November.
  

Governor Schwarzenegger's Finance Director Speaks at the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce About California Tax Reform

Your BOMA San Francisco Advocacy Team attended a meeting held by the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce yesterday to listen to Mike Genest, Governor Schwarzenegger's Finance Director, talk about the recent recommendations from the Commission on the 21st Century Economy on proposals to reform California's tax system.

The Commission's recommendations are as follows:

• Establish a business net receipts tax (BNRT) – Establish a new tax, not to exceed 4 percent, applied to the net receipts of businesses. Small businesses with less than $500,000 in gross annual receipts would be exempt from this tax. This tax would have a much broader base than the sales tax (since it would apply not only to goods but also to services and to sales into the state from businesses located outside the state) and, unlike the sales tax, be deductible against federal taxes.
  
• Reduce Personal Income Tax (PIT) for every taxpayer – Reduce the number of tax brackets from six to two. The new tax rate would be 2.75 percent for taxable income up to $56,000 for joint filers ($28,000 for single) and 6.5 percent for taxable income above that amount. These changes would retain the PIT’s progressive nature but reduce income tax rates for all taxpayers. The proposal would reduce the amount of income tax paid by 29 percent.
• Eliminate the corporation tax and minimum tax – Eliminate the corporate tax, which is currently at 8.84 percent. The $800 minimum franchise tax should also be eliminated.
• Eliminate the state general purpose sales tax – Eliminate the current 5 percent state sales tax, with the exception of the sales tax on gas and diesel fuels which would continue to be dedicated to transportation. Elimination of the sales tax would phase in over five years.
• Create an independent tax dispute forum – This forum would provide taxpayers with a forum for resolving disputes with the state.
• Strengthen the state’s Rainy Day Reserve Fund – Increase the target for the reserve from 5 percent of revenues to 12.5 percent and restrict the government's ability to use reserve assets so that the reserve is available to help fund services during recessionary periods.
  

These recommendations are of a statutory nature (with the exception of the strengthening of the Rainy Day Reserve Fund, which will require a change to the State Constitution or state ballot initiative), which means they may be made effective upon passage by a majority of the State Legislature and signature by the Governor.

You can read the full report here.